Before the massive Marvel universe that we all know today, things were very different. In the early 2000s, 20th Century Fox owned the rights to some Marvel characters. One of the movies they made was Daredevil, which came out in 2003. Two years later, a spin-off about the character Elektra was released. Sadly, it failed at the box office. Critics hated it, and most people forgot about it.
The movie had a terrible reputation. On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored only 11 percent, which says a lot. But now, after almost twenty years, something surprising is happening. Elektra has suddenly found a new audience on Netflix. It is currently sitting at number seven in Netflix’s global Top 10 movies. Just this week, 5.1 million people watched it. It has made the Top 10 list in 67 countries.
Some of these countries include Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Morocco, South Africa, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Clearly, the movie has caught attention worldwide. So the big question is, why the sudden comeback? And should you even bother watching it now?
The story of Elektra is simple. She is an assassin, one of the best there is. She is hired to kill a father and his daughter who live on a quiet island. But instead of killing them, she decides to protect them. Saying more would spoil the rest of the story. Jennifer Garner plays Elektra in the film, continuing from her role in Daredevil.
Now, let’s talk about what works and what doesn’t. The biggest issue with the film is its weak storyline. It is thin and doesn’t give much depth. But that doesn’t mean it’s unwatchable. The movie has some good action scenes, and for the time it was made, the effects were passable. Today they may look outdated, but back then they did the job. One of the standout moments is a mansion fight scene where sheets and towels fly around, which still looks quite cool.
Jennifer Garner herself did a good job. She carried the action sequences with style and energy. The downside is that the world of the movie is not explained properly. Viewers who have not read the comics may feel lost because the characters’ motivations are unclear. It feels like the audience is expected to already know the backstory.
So, who should watch Elektra today? If you like action movies with a touch of fantasy, you might enjoy it. It is not a movie to watch for strong storytelling or deep character work. If you care about those things, this will probably frustrate you. But if you want a light throwback action film with Jennifer Garner in the lead, then it could be a fun watch.